Karnaprayag is one of the five holy Prayags with Alaknanda in Himalayas which all together forms the holy river Ganga , situated at 172 km from Rishikesh at a height of 1451 meters from sea level , it is a Prayag (confluence ) river Alakhnanda with river Pindar which originates from Pindari glacier in Kumaon region of Uttrakhand . This place is surrounded by the Peaks Nanda Devi ( 7816 meters) , Trishul , Dron Giri , Narad Ghunti , Migathuni and Maikotli ,

Kran Prayag

The temple here is dedicated to Uma and Karna , this temple holds high importance and respect among the local people . The legend is, the name of this place is after the name of Karna from the epic Mahabharata, friend of Duryodhana , son of Kunti who is also mother of five Pandva brothers, Karna who is son of Sun God The Surya performed his prayers for three years after this he was rewarded a impregnable shield to protect himself, he became unmatched warrior in the battle field, he was cremated here by Lord Krishna after he was killed in the battle fields of Mahabharat at Kurukshetra .

It is also a place where King Dushyant met Shakuntla, had courtship and she gave birth to Bharat on his name our country is named Bharat, Abhijanana Shakuntalm play written in Sanskrit by poet Kalidas in 1st centuary in the period of KingVikramaditya of Ujjain is based on this legend

Nauti village is the maternal place of Nanda Devi , It is said that for the past Five Thousand years every twelve years a Nanda Raj JatYatra is performed it is the longest and most strenuous pilgrimages done on foot , the male members of Garhwal royal families and Chand Garhi village visits the Nauti village to worship the SRI YANTRA in a tantrik rites and rituals to invite the sprits of Godess Nanda into the Gold Idol from her husband’s abode the Himalaya , very strange but true a four horned male sheep is born every time in this period is given in the custody of royal family to be fed and taken well care of along with the other preparations to perform a 22 days long journey and to leave this Sheep in the Himalayas in Nanda Devi area passing through the age-old legendary Himalayan trek that has so much of traditional religious significance. The beauty of the trek is a picture perfect fusion of high mountain valleys, lakes, streams, glaciers and luminous dense green forests and it is a veritable paradise for trekkers. The Nanda Raj Jat Yatra is a spectacular festival.

Karn Prayag is also a base for Roop Kund and Pindari Glaciers trek.

Swami Vivekanand along with Guru Turianand ji and Akharanand Ji meditated here for eighteen days in 1890 when he was wandering and meditating at different places from 1888 till 1893 .